Akurei followed behind Sae through the crowded shopping center.
"I can't believe that the only shoes you have are those big old combat boots!" Sae laughed, swinging her shopping bag that was covered with a bright floral pattern from some department store that they had spent at least an hour at.
"What's wrong with my boots?" Akurei asked, stopping for a moment to glance down at the chunky black boots she wore under her long black pants.
"Nothing, nothing!" Sae replied assuring, "It's just that they're not really in style anymore." Before Akurei could get a word in edgewise, Sae grabbed her arm, dragging her halfway down the hall, calling out something Akurei couldn't understand.
"Sae, what the hell?" Akurei growled angrily, pulling her arm from Sae's grasp.
Sae looked hurt, but it was only for a split second. "Hey, I want you to meet someone, alright?" Sae said, snuggling next to the guy the had rushed to meet, "This is Kazuya Tojigamori. Toji, this is my cousin Akurei Hitoshi. She just moved here from California. Toji is in our class."
Toji cleared his throat, stepping away from Sae a bit, waving a bit at the strange new girl. Akurei waved back, taking note of her cautiously friendly composure and his casual clothing.
"So you're in our class now?" he said a bit uncomfortably.
"Yeah, I guess so," she replied. She glanced away from him for a second, which was just enough time for Sae to take over once again.
"So where's Momo?" Sae asked conversationally, "you two out on a date or something?"
Toji sighed quietly, his eyes shifting. "No…we're kind of on the outs right now," he replied hesitantly.
Sae's ears perked up. "Oh really…that's terrible. You two seem to fight quite a bit. Why are you still going out with her?" she asked, eyeing him with obvious interest.
Akurei shifted uncomfortably, as did Toji. Why was Sae asking all these questions? It had been a long time since they'd last hung out, she and her cousin, but had Sae really turned into a rat?
"So?" Sae asked again, this time prying, Akurei thought.
"I have to go," Toji replied, I'm meeting Nimaro at the bookstore, so…" He waved once more at Akurei, this time offering a smile. "See you in class, then." With that, he hurried off.
Sae put her hands on her hips, sighing while she shook her head. "I really don't understand that Toji sometimes. One moment he's with Momo, the next, they're not getting alone. The world would be a better place if he's just make me his girlfriend and get rid of Momo for good."
Akurei blinked, smelling a rat.